2 Samũeli 17
1 Ahithofeli akĩĩra Abisalomu atĩrĩ, “Reke thuure andũ ngiri ikũmi na igĩrĩ nĩguo tũthiĩ ũtukũ o ro ũyũ tũgakinyĩre Daudi.
Then Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Allow me to choose 12,000 men, and I will leave [with them] tonight to pursue David.
2 Na ndĩmũtharĩkĩre o ro rĩu arĩ mũnogu na atarĩ na hinya. Ndĩmũmakie, na andũ arĩa othe arĩa marĩ hamwe nake moore. Njũrage o mũthamaki we wiki,
We will attack him while he is tired and discouraged, and cause him to be very frightened. All the soldiers who are with him will run away. We will kill only the king.
3 na hũndũre andũ othe macooke kũrĩ we. Gĩkuũ kĩa mũndũ ũcio ũracaria gĩgũcookia andũ othe harĩwe; gũtirĩ mũndũ ũkũgurara.”
Then we will bring back all his soldiers to you, like [SIM] a (bride/woman comes to her husband when she is married). You are wanting to kill only one man; so the other people will not be harmed.”
4 Narĩo ithugunda rĩu rĩkĩoneka rĩrĩ rĩega nĩ Abisalomu na athuuri othe a Isiraeli.
Absalom and all the Israeli leaders [who were with him] thought that what Ahithophel said would be good to do.
5 No Abisalomu akiuga atĩrĩ, “Tũmanĩrai Hushai ũrĩa Mũariki o nake, nĩguo tũigue ũrĩa ekuuga.”
But Absalom said, “Summon Hushai also, and we will hear what he suggests.”
6 Na rĩrĩa Hushai ookire, Abisalomu akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Ahithofeli nĩaheanĩte mataaro maya. Nĩ wega twĩke ũguo aroiga? Angĩkorwo ti ũguo-rĩ, tũhe woni waku.”
So when Hushai arrived, Absalom told him what Ahithophel had suggested. Then he asked Hushai, “What do you think we should do? If you do not think that we should do what Ahithophel suggests, tell us [what you think that we should do].”
7 Hushai agĩcookeria Abisalomu atĩrĩ, “Itaaro rĩrĩa Ahithofeli aheanĩte ti rĩega ihinda-inĩ rĩĩrĩ.
Hushai replied, “This time what Ahithophel has suggested is not good advice.
8 Wee nĩũũĩ thoguo na andũ ake; nĩ andũ njamba, na nĩ njamba ta nduba ĩtunyĩtwo mwana wayo. Ningĩ thoguo arĩ na ũmenyo wa mbaara; ndarĩ hĩndĩ angĩraarania na mbũtũ cia ita.
You know that your father and the men who are with him are strong soldiers, and that now they are very angry, like [SIM] a mother bear whose cubs have been stolen from her. Furthermore, your father knows how to fight because he has fought in many battles. He will not stay with his troops during the night.
9 O na rĩu ahithĩtwo ngurunga kana akahithwo handũ hangĩ. Angĩtharĩkĩra mbũtũ ciaku cia ita mbere-rĩ, ũrĩa wothe ũkaigua ũhoro ũcio akoiga atĩrĩ, ‘Mbũtũ cia ita cia Abisalomu nĩciũragĩtwo.’
Right now he is probably already hiding in one of the pits, or in some other place. [If his soldiers start to attack your soldiers, and] if they kill some of them, whoever hears about that will say ‘Many of the soldiers with Absalom have been killed!’
10 Hĩndĩ ĩyo o na mũthigari ũrĩa njamba, ũrĩa ngoro yake ĩhaana ta ngoro ya mũrũũthi-rĩ, nĩakaringĩka nĩ guoya, tondũ Isiraeli othe nĩmooĩ atĩ, thoguo nĩ njamba ya ita na atĩ andũ arĩa marĩ nake nĩ njamba.
Then your other soldiers, even if they are as fearless [SIM, IDM] as lions, they will become very afraid. Do not forget that everyone in Israel knows that your father is a great/strong soldier, and that the soldiers who are with him are also very brave/courageous.
11 “Nĩ ũndũ ũcio ngũgũtaara atĩrĩ: Reke andũ othe a Isiraeli kuuma Dani nginya Birishiba, acio aingĩ mũno ta mũthanga wa hũgũrũrũ cia iria, moonganio othe macookanĩrĩre harĩwe, na wee mwene ũmatongorie magĩthiĩ ita-inĩ.
“So what I suggest is that you summon all the Israeli soldiers, from Dan [in the far north] to Beersheba [in the far south]. They will be as many as the grains of sand on the seashore [HYP]. And then you yourself lead us into the battle.
12 Hĩndĩ ĩyo nĩtũkaamũtharĩkĩra harĩa hothe tũngĩmuona, tũmũmbĩrĩre o ta ũrĩa ime rĩgũaga thĩ. Nĩgũkorwo we mwene o na kana mũndũ o na ũmwe wake gũtirĩ ũgaatigara muoyo.
We will find [your father], wherever he is, and we will attack him [from all sides], like [SIM] dew covers all the ground. And neither he nor any of the soldiers who are with him will survive.
13 O na ningĩ angĩgatoonya itũũra inene, andũ othe a Isiraeli makaarehe mĩhĩndo itũũra-inĩ rĩu, tũrĩkururie tũrĩtware gĩtuamba-inĩ, o nginya kwage gacunjĩ karĩo kangĩoneka.”
If he escapes into some city, all our soldiers will bring ropes and pull that city down into the valley. As a result, not one stone will be left there [on top of the hill where that city was]!”
14 Nake Abisalomu na andũ othe a Isiraeli makiuga atĩrĩ, “Ũtaaro wa Hushai ũrĩa Mũariki nĩ mwega gũkĩra wa Ahithofeli.” Nĩgũkorwo Jehova nĩatuĩte atĩ nĩegũthũkia ũtaarani ũcio mwega wa Ahithofeli nĩgeetha arehithĩrie Abisalomu mwanangĩko.
Absalom and all the other Israeli men [who were with him] said, “What Hushai suggests is better than what Ahithophel suggested.” The reason that happened was that Yahweh had determined that if they would accept the good advice that Ahithophel had given them, [they would have been able to defeat/kill David]. But [as a result of their doing what Hushai suggested], Yahweh would cause a disaster to happen to Absalom.
15 Hushai akĩĩra Zadoku na Abiatharu, acio athĩnjĩri-Ngai, atĩrĩ, “Ahithofeli nĩataarĩte Abisalomu na athuuri a Isiraeli meeke ũna na ũna, no niĩ ndĩmataarĩte meke ũna na ũna.
Then Hushai told the two priests, Zadok and Abiathar, what both he and Ahithophel had suggested to Absalom and the Israeli leaders.
16 Rĩu tũmana kũrĩ Daudi narua, ũmwĩre atĩrĩ, ‘Ũtukũ ũyũ menya ndũkaraare mariũko-inĩ kũu werũ-inĩ; ringa mũrĩmo na ndũkaage gwĩka ũguo, kwaga ũguo mũthamaki na arĩa othe arĩ nao nĩmekũniinwo.’”
Then he said to them, “Send [a message] quickly to David. Tell him to not stay at the place where people walk across the river, near the desert. Instead, he and his soldiers must cross [the Jordan River] immediately, in order that they will not be killed/wiped out.”
17 Jonathani na Ahimaazu maikaraga Eni-Rogeli. Nayo ndungata ya mũirĩtu nĩyo yarĩ ĩthiĩ ĩkamahe ũhoro ũcio, nao mathiĩ makeere Mũthamaki Daudi, tondũ matingĩetĩkĩrire kuonwo magĩtoonya itũũra-inĩ rĩu inene.
[The priest’s two sons, ] Jonathan and Ahimaaz, were waiting at En-Rogel [Spring], outside Jerusalem. They did not [dare to] enter the city, because if someone saw them, [he would report it to Absalom]. [While they were at En-Rogel, ] a female servant [of the two priests] would frequently go to them and report to them [what was happening], and then they would go and report it to King David.
18 No kamwana kanini nĩkamonire na gakĩĩra Abisalomu. Nĩ ũndũ ũcio andũ acio eerĩ makiumagara na ihenya magĩtoonya nyũmba ya mũndũ kũu Bahurimu. Nake aarĩ na gĩthima hau nja ya mũciĩ wake, nao makĩharũrũka thĩinĩ wakĩo.
But a young man saw them, and went and reported it to Absalom. [They found out what the young man had done, ] so both of them left quickly and went to stay in the house of a man in Bahurim. That man had a well in his courtyard; so the two men went down into the well [to hide].
19 Nake mũtumia wa mũndũ ũcio akĩoya kĩndũ gĩa kũhumbĩra, agĩgĩtambũrũkia igũrũ rĩa mũromo wa gĩthima, na akĩanĩka ngano igũrũ rĩakĩo. Na gũtirĩ mũndũ o na ũmwe wamenyire ũhoro ũcio.
The man’s wife took a cloth/mat and covered the well, and scattered grain on top of it in order that no one would know [that two men were hiding inside it].
20 Na rĩrĩa andũ a Abisalomu mookire kũrĩ mũtumia ũcio kũu nyũmba gwake-rĩ, makĩmũũria atĩrĩ, “Ahimaazu na Jonathani marĩ ha?” Nake mũtumia ũcio akĩmacookeria atĩrĩ, “Maringire mũrĩmo ũũrĩa wa karũũĩ.” Nao andũ acio makĩmacaria no mationire mũndũ; nĩ ũndũ ũcio magĩcooka Jerusalemu.
Some of Absalom’s soldiers [found out where the two men had gone. So they] went to the house, and asked the woman, “Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?” She replied, “They crossed the river.” So the soldiers [crossed the river and] searched for them. But they could not find them, so they returned to Jerusalem.
21 Thuutha wa andũ acio gũthiĩ, Jonathani na Ahimaazu makiuma gĩthima-inĩ, na magĩtwarĩra Mũthamaki Daudi ũhoro ũcio. Makĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Wĩhaarĩrie ũringe rũũĩ o narua, Ahithofeli nĩ ataaranĩte ũna na ũna wa gũgũũkĩrĩra.”
After they had gone, the two men came out of the well and went and reported to King David [what had happened and] what Ahithophel had suggested. Then they said to him, “Cross the river quickly!”
22 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio Daudi na andũ othe arĩa maarĩ nake magĩũkĩra na makĩringa Rũũĩ rwa Jorodani. Na gũgĩkĩa gũtirĩ mũndũ ũtaaringĩte Rũũĩ rwa Jorodani.
So David and all his soldiers quickly started to cross the Jordan [River], and by dawn they had all crossed to the other side.
23 Na rĩrĩa Ahithofeli onire atĩ mataaro make matiinarũmĩrĩrĩrwo-rĩ, agĩtandĩka ndigiri yake, akĩinũka gwake mũciĩ itũũra-inĩ rĩake. Agĩthondeka maũndũ make, agĩcooka akĩĩita. Nĩ ũndũ ũcio agĩkua na agĩthikwo mbĩrĩra-inĩ ya ithe.
When Ahithophel realized that Absalom was not going to do what he suggested, he put a saddle on his donkey and returned to his own town. He gave [to his family] instructions about his possessions, and then he hanged himself [because he knew that Absalom would be defeated and that he would be considered a traitor and be killed]. His body was buried in the tomb where his ancestors [had been buried].
24 Daudi agĩthiĩ Mahanaimu, nake Abisalomu akĩringa Rũũĩ rwa Jorodani hamwe na andũ othe a Isiraeli.
David [and his soldiers] arrived at Mahanaim. And Absalom [and all his Israeli soldiers] also crossed the Jordan [River].
25 Abisalomu nĩathuurĩte Amasa atuĩke mũnene wa mbũtũ cia ita ithenya rĩa Joabu. Amasa aarĩ mũriũ wa mũndũ wetagwo Jetheri, Mũisiraeli ũrĩa wahikĩtie Abigaili, mwarĩ wa Nahashu, mwarĩ wa nyina na Zeruia nyina wa Joabu.
Absalom had appointed [his cousin] Amasa to be the commander of his army, instead of Joab. Amasa was the son of a man named Jether, a descendant of Ishmael. Amasa’s mother was Abigail, the daughter of Nahash and the sister of Joab’s mother Zeruiah.
26 Andũ a Isiraeli na Abisalomu maambĩte hema ciao bũrũri-inĩ wa Gileadi.
Absalom and his Israeli soldiers set up their tents in [the] Gilead [region].
27 Na rĩrĩa Daudi aakinyire Mahanaimu, Shobi mũrũ wa Nahashu wa kuuma Raba kwa Aamoni, na Makiri mũrũ wa Amieli kuuma Lo-Debari, na Barizilai ũrĩa Mũgileadi kuuma Rogelimu
When David [and his soldiers] arrived at Mahanaim, Shobi the son of Nahash from Rabbah [city] in the Ammon area, and Machir the son of Ammiel from Lo-Debar [city], and Barzillai from Rogelim [town] in [the] Gilead [region]
28 makĩrehe indo cia gũkomera, na mbakũri, na indo cia rĩũmba. Ningĩ makĩrehe ngano na cairi, na mũtu na ngano hĩhie, na mboco na ndengũ,
brought sleeping mats, bowls, clay pots, barley, wheat flour, parched grain, beans, and lentils to them.
29 na ũũkĩ na ngorono, na ngʼondu na maguta mamata ma iria rĩa ngʼombe, nĩgeetha Daudi na andũ ake marĩe. Tondũ moigire atĩrĩ, “Andũ aya nĩahũũtu, na makanoga, na makanyootera gũkũ werũ-inĩ.”
They brought honey and curds, sheep, and some cream/cheese for David and his soldiers to eat. They knew that David and his soldiers would be hungry and tired and thirsty [from marching] in the desert.
